Jane Crown on the Tattooed Poets Project

Today's tattooed poet is Jane Crown, who shared this tattoo:

Jane credited an English artist named Oliver from Pulse Tattoos on St.Peter's Way, in Northampton, England. The "M" placed on the back of her neck, she explained, "is to serve the memory of such goodness in her brother whom died." She added, "the lettering is further a nod to the individual whom she spent her year abroad with,whom made her brave enough to leave home for that long."

Jane sent us the following poem:

A & E

"Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality.
But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty,
socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude".
- Alexis de Tocqueville

Nearly six in the morning, lungs do not tell time the

way night does. You employ guileless steps in the

ambulance of how to be stroppy with your wheezing.

You use your eyes, roll them unapprovingly towards

the notion of dying in a vehicle as they drive slower

towards help. Sickness when it has an American

accent, even if not heard fully, truly annoys some

foreigners. You sit ready to plead your case before

doctors and staff once steel doors lament you upon

inner sanctum. You feel satonic jabs of blood

tests in lieu of betterment to breathe. Jokes help

as you have pasties with leads of snakes, making

your breasts freeze behind paper curtains barely

cosied in chagrin. Machines go inky dark, turn

into undignified balloons, not made for health

or virtue. You boyfriend is on the way, but he's

late, him and his white horse now stippled brown.

You lay your head down in the unit, finally a bed.

It's been eleven harrowing hours misting in

corridors of agony alone. An orderly tells you

to close your eyes, this new world of peaceful

innovation is yours. The room is filled with deciduous

eyes, Mother comes to mind. You miss her lap, her

worrying for you, as you carry on your life inconsiderate

of hers. They discharge you cleanly in two day's time,

giving you standing orders you comply to your

confidence, all will be all right. Nothing so calming

as a puff of air in a can. Grateful at last you are for

strict Socialism bought with government currency.

You've only paid with one long journey in a first class

seat, paralleled with your expatriot boldness to

procure and exploit its expediency. Hateful are the

strangers, your brand new emergency family.

~ ~ ~

Jane Crown is an award-winning author and American archivist. Her published books include Her
Delicate Shoe (Polymer Grove Press) and A Love Letter to Darwin (Lummox Press). She is the
Publishing Editor of Heavy Bear Journal and Host for Jane Crown's Poetry Radio Show. She
is currently working on her 3rd book of poems after a year's trip abroad entitled,This Little Room.
Her further publications, audio archives and books can be found by a simple search engine.

Thanks to Jane for sharing her poem and tattoo with us on the Tattooed Poets Project!

This entry is ©2017 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.

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